The Next Generation
by Stormyfalcon
Summary: When the children of Mario and Princess Peach and Luigi and Princess Daisy find a treasure map in one of the many forests of the Mushroom Kingdom, they're plunged into a grand adventure, unknowingly watched by a certain koopa king.
1. 1: Beginnings

**This is my first story on here, so I hope it turns out well! Reviews are greatly appreciated.**

* * *

All was quiet in the Mushroom Kingdom. A light breeze stirred one or two leaves and blew them in the direction of a huge castle.

Once, the castle had been Princess Peach's. Now, it was home to Mario, Luigi, Daisy, Peach, and three rambunctious children.

A sudden noise broke the silence as three figures charged out the front door of the castle.

"Come on! Could you be any slower?"

The source of the voice was an older girl, about twelve. Her hair was in two long braids down her back and her blue eyes were mischievous. She was wearing green and blue.

"Well, sorry, Mika. I know we finally have permission to go on an overnight trip in the forest, but that's no reason to get impatient."

The second voice belonged to a younger ten year old. She was running as fast as she could to try and catch up, and her brown hair bounced behind her as she followed.

"Do we really have to go do this?"

That was the youngest of the three, an fearful nine year old. His shout orange hair frizzed out all over the place and his green eyes blinked with apparent worry.

"Yes, Orion, we do." Mika nodded, skidding to a halt and turning back to smile at the others.

"Cinder, please say that Mika's wrong." Orion sighed, catching up at last and sitting down on the tall grass without a second thought.

"Nope. Sorry, Mika's right. I'm excited for this, too - but I don't run around shouting for everyone else to catch up - unlike a certain someone." Cinder frowned at Mika, her lips curving into a smile as she tried to restrain her laughter.

"So... where's this forest?" Orion asked. "Is it dark and spooky?"

Mika nodded. "It's the spookiest place in the whole of the Mushroom Kingdom, as far as I know."

"Oh, no. Since when did I get such crazy siblings?" Orion shook his head. "You two are always doing something wild - like trying to jump the creek and almost drowning. I wish you would just play cards or do something civilized."

"Half siblings, you mean. Close enough, though." Cinder shrugged. "Besides, card games are boring. The real fun comes in when you're exploring the wide world of the Mushroom Kingdom!"

Orion frowned. "That's not amusing. Not amusing at all."

At this moment Mika turned to look at the creek in the distance. "Well, what are we waiting for? Come on! Maybe if we hurry we can jump in the creek." she winked. "Last one there gets pushed in." the twelve year old added. "I bet it'll be Orion!"

Mika broke into a run again, Cinder following with a spring in her step. Orion sputtered incoherently for a moment before charging after them, tripping on his shoelaces.

The gigantic shape of Mushroom Castle faded into the distance as the three ran for the ribbon of blue that darted across the landscape.


	2. 2: The Airship

"Now _that _was fun." Cinder grinned, splashing out of the creek.

"Fun? That's only the beginning. Besides, we've been in the creek lots of times. What _I'm _looking forward to is the forest." Mika jumped out next. "Come on, Orion!"

"Why didn't you let me stay home?" Orion asked. "I'm not having fun. I could still go back - look, you can just barely see the castle from here."

"Nope. Sorry. Where's this forest, anyway?" Cinder blinked. "Is it that big patch of trees over there?"

Mika nodded. "Too bad it's so close. What I'd like to do is explore the whole wide world!" she exclaimed dramatically. Orion started to step back towards the creek, perhaps to turn around and go home, when Cinder stopped him.

"You've got to come along, Orion! This is our _first camping trip ever_! It's a very important and momentous event!" she argued. "You're not a scaredy koopa, are you?"

"What? Scaredy koopa? No way! I'm... um... just as brave as you are..." Orion stuttered, staring at the ground.

"Sure. Sure you are." Mika nodded, smiling. She started walking in the direction of the forest. "Who wants to do another race?"

"Not me." Orion grumbled, but Cinder nodded.

"How about we start on five?" Mika said.

"Ok." Cinder grinned. "Five!" She started racing for the woods, the other two following.

"That was so unfair!" Mika shouted after her sister, running as fast as she could.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the three, far above them was a familiar shape, flying through the sky.

"Hey! Why is no one on the wheel?" Bowser Jr. exclaimed, sending accusing glances around the airship. "If no one's on the wheel, we're gonna crash!"

"Oops. Sorry, Jr." Larry shrugged. "I'm on it, really." the koopaling sighed, darting around Wendy and taking the wheel.

"Lemmy! What are you _doing_? Get off that ball, you're going to fall off the side!" Bowser Jr. frowned, watching as the small koopaling rolled towards him. "Now that I think of it, why is everyone doing _nothing_? Alright then, group meeting! Everyone get over here RIGHT NOW - except for Larry, he's steering."

Ludwig got over first. "Isn't it obvious? We've been flying around for three long, boring days, and what have we accomplished?"

"Nothing!" Morton sighed, listening in. "We've got nothing done at all!"

"But - you know what Dad said! He said we had to try and do _something _to annoy them!" Bowser Jr. argued.

"Hey! There's something down there!" Iggy suddenly shouted, pointing downwards.

"There is? Fire at will!" Roy grinned, pointing his cannon down at the three figures.

"NO! NO! STOP!" Bowser Jr. grabbed Roy's cannon away from him and placed it down on the floor. "Give me that telescope, will you, Iggy?" Bowser's son asked, snatching the device and peering through it.

"Well, what do you know..." he smiled. "It's those kids!"

"Which ones?" Wendy asked.

"You know what I'm talking about! This is great! We finally can _do _something!" Bowser Jr. cheered, handing Iggy back the telescope.

"Where's that map?" he asked next.

"The one to Bowser's castle?" Lemmy questioned.

"Yes, yes, that one!" Jr. nodded.

Lemmy darted over to one side of the Airship, grabbed a piece of paper, and ran back. "How's this?"

"Perfect! Here - Ludwig. You remember the plan?" Bowser Jr. asked, shoving the map into the koopaling's hands.

"Of course I do." Ludwig drawled. "Take them the map and the backpacks with supplies, and drop them where they'll find them. Soon they'll be knocking at the castle gates."

"Good. Very good. You go do that, ok?" Bowser Jr. nodded.

"I'll be back before the airship hits the forest." Ludwig smiled, grabbing the backpacks and the map and teleporting away.

Jr. smiled to himself. "Thank goodness _something's _getting done at long last..."


	3. 3: The Map

Orion winced, looking up at the many branches that blocked the sky and darkened his view. For a moment, he thought he felt a chill breeze by one shoulder, and shivered slightly.

Was that a flash of blue?

_I must be seeing things. _Orion thought with a sigh.

"You _scared, _Orion?" Cinder asked, looking back at her younger brother.

"No." the nine year old mumbled, jumping over a fallen log.

Mika's excited voice rang through the forest in front of them. "Hey! Check this out!"

"What? Is it _another _dead leaf? Cause to tell you the truth, Mika, that last one wasn't too exciting." Cinder said sarcastically.

"No, it's more than that. I found a map! A real treasure map!" Mika grinned from ear to ear. "It's in that clearing up ahead."

"What? A treasure map? Really? You're joking!" Cinder exclaimed, darting in the direction that her sister had come from. A moment later she let out a squeak of excitement. "You're not joking!"

Orion, despite everything he'd said before, blinked in surprise and darted over, closely followed by Mika.

Sure enough, there was an old map on the ground, brown with age. Surrounding it were three backpacks of different sizes.

"What's in the backpacks?" Cinder asked Mika as she poked the largest backpack, which fell over with a plop. "Food?"

"I think whoever gave us the map wanted us to have enough provisions for the trip." Mika shrugged. "Read what the map says, will you?"

"Ok..." Cinder nodded before reading what the map said.

"_Good job for finding this magnificent treasure map! If you get to the end, fabulous treasures and glorious prizes await! Just follow what this map tells you to do and you'll soon have more gold then you can shake a goomba at!"_

_Oh, no. _Orion thought. _This is too good to be true._


End file.
